How Once A Day Co. Built a Repeatable Freight Process

Once A Day Co. had grown into an established lifestyle brand, but freight decisions still depended heavily on founder Robyn Read.

The team was managing more than 50 international shipments a year. When a quote, document or delivery needed attention, the question often came back to the founder instead of moving through a repeatable process.

The Challenge

Previous problems had made the team cautious about freight. The issues included unsuitable Incoterms, shipment delays, customs holds caused by document errors, unexpected costs and limited visibility.

Staff had been shown individual tasks, but the business did not yet have one documented process connecting an order with quoting, booking, documents, tracking, clearance and delivery.

The goal was not to remove Robyn from freight completely. It was to let the team handle routine work while keeping clear escalation points and management oversight.

What Changed

Freight Lab 360 worked with the team on the knowledge, tools and routines behind each shipment. The practical changes included:

• clarifying how Incoterms affect cost, control and responsibility
• reviewing freight quotes on a like-for-like basis
• setting realistic production and delivery timelines
• building standard operating procedures from order to delivery
• creating a freight calendar for campaigns and replenishment
• using checklists for quotes, bookings and shipping documents

The process gave staff a defined next step and showed them when a decision needed to be escalated.

The Reported Outcome

Once A Day Co. reported that Robyn was able to step back from day-to-day logistics without losing visibility. The business also reported fewer clearance errors and a 15% reduction in freight costs after improving planning and shipment decisions.

Those results reflect this business and its starting point; they are not a promise that every freight review will produce the same saving.

Robyn described the change this way: "Freight Lab 360 helped me realise we didn’t have a freight provider problem; we had a freight knowledge gap. Once we filled that, everything started to flow."

The Practical Lesson

A growing business does not need every employee to become a freight specialist. It does need a shared process, accurate documents, clear ownership and a way to escalate exceptions.

That structure reduces dependence on one person and makes it easier to assess providers, train staff and improve the process after each shipment.